1. Technical Field
This invention relates to string trimmers, and more particularly to an electric string trimmer having a knock-down construction which enables the trimmer to be compactly configured for shipping while easily and quickly assembled by a user upon removal from a shipping container.
2. Discussion
Electric string trimmers have become popular in recent years as same have become more and more affordable to homeowners and other like individuals. Such string trimmers enable vegetation such as grass to be cut in areas such as along walls of houses, near fences and around shrubs and other like vegetation where access with a lawn mower is difficult or impossible. Electric string trimmers typically include a handle assembly which is graspable by the operator with at least one hand, an elongated neck portion having a length of usually in the range of about 2 feet-4 feet, and a base assembly at a lower end of the neck portion. Most typically, the neck portion is formed from a tubular section of material such as metal, and the handle assembly is clamped or otherwise secured thereto at a top end of the neck portion. The lower end of the neck portion is typically secured to the base assembly. The construction of the handle assembly and the base assembly is usually a two piece, clam shell-like form of construction which allows, for example, the handle assembly to be secured in two pieces over the upper end of the neck portion via one or more threaded screws. The base assembly is also typically of a two piece, clam shell-like construction which is assembled over the lower end of the neck portion and secured thereto via one or more threaded screws which extend through portions of the base assembly as well as the neck portion.
The above-described construction of most previously developed string trimmers, while resulting in a string trimmer which provides a solid feel, still has certain drawbacks. Since most string trimmers are usually completely assembled at a factory or other like point of manufacture, the string trimmer usually must be shipped in its completely assembled configuration. Since most string trimmers have a length of about 2 feet-4 feet, the containers which such string trimmers must be shipped in usually are quite large and, therefore, represent a significant component cost of the overall product. Furthermore, since the handle assembly of most prior-developed string trimmers protrudes somewhat transversely from the neck portion, the shipping container for the assembled trimmer must not only be rather long (i.e., usually about 3 feet-4 feet), but also must be relatively large in volume to allow the fully assembled trimmer to fit inside.
With most prior developed string trimmers, the overall complexity of manufacture and assembly is such that the end user, who may be an individual with very limited mechanical experience or understanding, is usually not in a position to perform significant assembly of a new string trimmer prior to first using the trimmer. Such individuals may also lack certain tools that may be required for significant assembly operations. For at least these reasons, it is not practical to expect most users of string trimmers to successfully assemble the trimmer quickly and easily from a large number of individual component parts with a limited amount of effort immediately after purchasing the trimmer.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide an electric string trimmer having a construction which allows it to be shipped while in a "knocked-down" configuration such that the complete string trimmer may be shipped in an extremely compact container, box or the like. By reducing the dimensions of the container or box required to package the trimmer, the overall cost of the trimmer can be reduced. With relatively inexpensive electric string trimmers, this savings could represent a significant reduction in the manufacturing cost of the overall product.
It would further be highly desirable to provide an electric string trimmer having a knock-down configuration which allows it to be shipped in a very compact container (i.e., box), and yet quickly and easily assembled by an individual with very limited mechanical experience and without the need for any special tools, and further in a matter of minutes after first removing the new knocked-down string trimmer from its packaging.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a string trimmer which is formed in a small plurality of major component parts which may be quickly and easily assembled by the user without the need for special tools, just prior to first using the string trimmer.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a string trimmer having a knock-down configuration which allows it to be shipped in a very compact box or shipping carton, thus reducing the overall cost of production of the product and its cost of retail sale, and yet quickly, easily and efficiently assembled by an individual without the need for specialized mechanical understanding, lengthy instructions, or specialized tools.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a string trimmer which has an independent handle assembly, an independent neck portion and an independent base assembly, where the neck portion is quickly, snappingly engageable with a portion of the handle assembly and also with a portion of the base assembly to form the assembled string trimmer without the need for any special tools or extensive assembly operations on the part of the user.